| Chhoti Chhoti Baten | |
|---|---|
| Directed by | Motilal |
| Written by | Motilal |
| Produced by | Motilal |
| Starring | Motilal Nadira Moti Sagar |
| Cinematography | Keki Mistry |
| Edited by | Shivaji Avdhoot |
| Music by | Anil Biswas Shailendra (lyrics) |
Production company | Rajvanshi Productions |
Release date |
|
Running time | 120 min. |
| Country | India |
| Language | Hindi |
Chhoti Chhoti Baten [1] is a 1965 Indian Hindi family drama film directed by actor Motilal. It was his only film as director, writer and producer under his home banner, Rajvanshi Productions. It starred Motilal, Nadira and Moti Sagar in lead roles.
The music of the film was by Anil Biswas, his last film before retiring from Bollywood and joining All India Radio. It is noted for the song "Zindagi Khwab Hai Tha Hamein Bhi" performed by Mukesh, and the Lata Mangeshkar-Mukesh duet, "Zindagi Ka Ajab Afsana Hai". [2] Dances were choreographed by Kathak exponent Lachhu Maharaj, who also choreographed Mughal-e-Azam (1960) and Pakeezah (1972).
Director Motilal Rajvashi, a noted character actor from the 1940s till the 1960s made his directorial debut through this film. However, he died before film's release, and despite critical acclaim, the offbeat family drama flopped at the box office. [3]
Composer Anil Biswas said that the film's post-production was overseen by singer Mukesh, a distant cousin of Motilal, as the actor lay in hospital.[4]
At the 13th National Film Awards, it won the award for Certificate of Merit for the Third Best Feature Film and Certificate of Merit for the Best Story Writer was awarded posthumously to Motilal.[5][6]
The film explores theme of humanity, helping others, society, trust, importance of money and relationships. It was featured in the book Take 2 – 50 Films That Deserve a New Audience by Deepa Gehlot,[7] who described the story as -
"a story of one man’s good fortune, his attempts to help others and a tragic outcome".
In a 1963 interview, Motilal had said the following about the film, and his character[8] -
"He has an air of ineffable sadness and, inside of him, he is full of goodness to the world—a world which hasn’t been all good to him, in which he finds ultimate dignity only in death.
His name is Motilal, too. I play him in “Chhoti Chhoti Batein”, the film I have laboured much to put together bit by bit.
This is my most recent role but the one I have wanted to do longest. In visualising the Motilal of my film, a suburban philosopher, a man who is silently asking himself: “Where is peace?” and is led on from corner to corner, I have borrowed of myself, of many echoes from all my yesterdays"